Seven years ago when I was 40, I looked great.  I really did and I have the pictures to prove it.  I looked 30. Even four and a half years ago after the birth of my daughter, I still looked okay. But now, at 47…the rot has truly set in. Every picture I see of myself these days makes my heart sink.  I look unutterably middle aged and frumpy. I look at pictures of my school and Uni friends on Facebook, and they ALL look fab! How and why I ask myself?  Why do they all look so good and why do I look so crap.  Now, up until recently I always lo0ked young for my age, but it would seem that when I turned about 45, something changed. It’s as if the aging process suddenly took a leap.

Now, I have always advocated that aging goes in stages, sort of jumps. People seem to remain the same for ages, and then suddenly, there is a marked change. One remains fairly ageless from about 20  to 25, then 25 to 30, even little change occurs from 35 to 40.  I think from about 40 onwards, the slope becomes distinctly slipperier!

It’s not that I mind the lines on my face, and would scorn any suggestion that I have ‘something’ done about it. I like lines on the face of a woman, and  find an unlined and ‘youthful’ face  akin to that of a blank canvas.   I have nothing but utter contempt for the silly and vain creatures who have their faces pumped with poision in an attempt to stem the aging process.  To what end anyway?  Botox has such an obvious signature, that you might as well wave  a flag. Besides, who really wants to look like a waxwork dummy?  The likes of Michelle Collins, Fay Ripley, Felicity Kendal are prime examples. Women whom I previously had enormous respect for as good actresses and interesting and uncomprimising women.

So, what to do?  I am in truth fairly overweight for my skeletel structure and perhaps that has aged my face. Maybe drinking more water, eating better, sleeping better and taking exercise is the answer. Or maybe, all the women I know of my age who look so good, are having ‘help’ and I should just accept the inevitable demise of my ‘beauty’ and accept oncoming decriptitude and wait for my ‘Crone’ hat to arrive in the post. Answers on a post card please!?

Oh, and on the subject of Botox, here is an interesting article:
Johann Hari: Botox is destroying Hollywood stars’ ability to act